Pakistani defence budget to go up next year

Islamabad, May 30: Pakistan's government has decided to increase the defence budget for the next fiscal year by Rs 30 billion.

Private news agency Online quoted sources as saying that the Defence Ministry had sought a Rs 300 billion budget for fiscal 2007-08, up from Rs 250.2 billion in 2006-07, and had sent its recommendations to the Finance Ministry.

Defence budget for the next fiscal year will be between Rs 277 billion and Rs 280 billion and this money is to be used to purchase modern equipment for the three armed forces.

Sources said it was yet to be decided whether money would be earmarked in the budget for the purchase of Chinese-origin JF-17 Thunder and F-16 fighter planes or whether separate allocations would be made for the aircraft.

UNI